Backstage in WWE isn’t just a free-for-all when it comes to where you get dressed — there’s a system, and not everyone gets to enjoy the perks of the most exclusive space: the TV Locker Room.
Montel Vontavious Porter recently broke down exactly how things work when it comes to the TV Locker Room, known as TVL, compared to the standard male locker room. And according to him, it’s not just about where your gear goes — it’s a status thing.
“I know for a long time, you know, just in WWE, you had the main locker room and then you had the TV locker room—TVL. And like, you didn’t dress in TVL until you got invited to dress in TVL,” he explained on the Marking Out podcast.
The TV Locker Room isn’t just a fancier space — it’s literally where WWE films backstage segments. But being featured there starts with being allowed to even set foot in that room.
“If you just got called up, you dressed in the main male talent. And once you get to a certain point, then somebody might invite you to come dress in the TVL.”
For newcomers, the main male locker room is where they change, hang out, and prepare for the show — but that doesn’t come with the same level of recognition. The invite to TVL is a silent nod that you’ve arrived in WWE.
Porter also shared how this system applied beyond the TVL, especially with legends like The Undertaker, who had their own private spaces — and those came with even stricter rules.
“I used to get a kick out of the fact that Undertaker, like, he would have his own room. And you could dress in the Undertaker’s room by invitation only. And I remember the day that I got invited to dress in the Undertaker’s room, and it was like, ‘Oh.’ And I’m looking around, I’m like, ‘Oh, okay, these are like the boys in here.’ You know, it’s like, ‘All right.’ But don’t walk your ass in there and try to think, ‘I’m gonna get dressed in here.’ People just gonna look at you like, ‘Yeah, get your ass out of here.’”
The whole setup shows that, in WWE, where you change your clothes says a lot about where you stand in the locker room food chain. It’s wild how even the locker room in WWE has its own pecking order — with the TVL acting like an exclusive club for the stars who’ve earned their stripes.
Would you rather have the structure of earning your spot in the TVL, or do you think everyone should share the same space? Drop your thoughts in the comments!
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